Renaming the Electric Factory: The worst hot takes from Philly social media

On a foggy and humid Wednesday morning, dark clouds loomed over Philadelphia. People in Philly didn’t take much heed, but it foreshadowed some ominous local news:

The Electric Factory has been officially sold — and will have to change its name.

Brooklyn-based promotion company Bowery Presents, which had been booking the venue for several years, finally bought the iconic club outright from veteran concert promoter and Broadway producer Larry Magid and his partner Adam Spivak. Why the name change? The Electric Factory brand — the logo and trademark —is owned by Live Nation. Live Nation is basically Bowery’s main competition when it comes to live entertainment in Philadelphia, so of course they aren’t releasing it to their rivals.

2) Being petty by slightly modifying ‘Electric Factory’

True: “The Old Electric Factory” sounds better than “The Place That Used to be the Electric Factory,” but the petty level remains (and if you’re going with “the old,” shouldn’t you just go all out and call it “Ye Olde Electric Factory”)?

3) Combining wit with laziness

Some enjoyed poking fun at the crowdsourcing effort by changing up the “electric” part of “Electric Factory,” calling attention to divisive environmental issues while also being unimaginative. Nice.

In a Facebook comment thread made under a post from NBC10 Philadelphia reporting the Electric Factory announcement, Erich Claussen offered up “The Renewable Energy Factory” as an option. Vitor Lucatorto came up with “Power House,” Stephen Mahalik offered “Solar Energy Factory,”… you get the idea.